The Jacksonville University men’s soccer team triumphed over the Bears 3-2 at the Dolphins’ home field in Florida on Oct. 7, marking the second ASUN conference loss for UCA. 

The defeat was the Bears’ (2-6-2, 1-2-1 ASUN) second in a row following a 6-3 loss to Lipscomb University last week and dropped UCA to sixth place in the ASUN conference standings. 

Graduate student and defender Deon Travis scored his first goal of the season. Sophomore forward Pietro Fontana, who has more goals than anyone on the team, got his eighth goal of the season.

Both men scored in the second half, netting UCA its only two points for the game. 

UCA may have come up short in the points department, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

The Bears put five shots on goal in the game’s first 45 minutes, but the Dolphins’ defense was too much.

The Bears failed to get any points on the board before halftime thanks to Jacksonville goalkeeper Preston Harold, a sophomore, who blocked over 80% of the Bears’ shots on goal and had 10 saves by the game’s end.

Jacksonville junior forward Carson Wood scored the Dolphins’ first goal 15 minutes into the game, giving Jacksonville the lead they would maintain for most of the game.

The Dolphins whipped out another quick goal in the second half, putting them up by two before the Bears had a single goal on the scoreboard.

UCA briefly tied the game 2-2 in the second half but the Dolphins edged them out with a third goal from graduate student forward Mason Duval. 

The ASUN match was the Bears’ third time ever facing the Jacksonville Dolphins and marks the first time UCA has lost to Jacksonville University.

The first time the Bears and Dolphins played each other was in 2021 when the Bears defeated them 2-0. Last year, UCA and Jacksonville tied 2-2.

UCA, which joined the ASUN conference in 2021, has three conference games left in the season to climb in the ranks and determine its seed position before playoffs start in early November. 

Last year was the second year in a row UCA lost the ASUN championship game. This year, the Bears sit on the edge of qualifying for the championship tournament, above only North Florida University and Queens University of Charlotte. 

The top six ASUN teams at the end of each season qualify for the championship tournament, and the Bears are in sixth place. 

The next couple of games against Stetson University and North Florida University will likely determine whether the Bears qualify for the championship. 

The Bears traveled to St. Louis on Oct. 10 for a friendly against Saint Louis University, UCA’s third away game in a row, before returning home for their next conference game against Stetson University on Oct. 14.